SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT OF THE ENERGY SYSTEM OPTIONS OF A POWER PLANT THROUGH MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS

Abstract

Most of the electricity generated in the Republic of Serbia is produced in thermal power plants that burn lignite. The strategy for the development of the energy system is: construction of new power plants based on lignite and natural gas with higher energy efficiency, rehabilitation and modernization of existing plants and accelerated use of renewable energy sources as part of the green transition. Thermal power plant "Kolubara A" is the subject of analysis in this paper, with five thermal units total installed capacity of 270 MW. This paper analyses potential options for thermal power plant units: existing option with coal (lignite) combustion and options with renewable energy sources, such as waste materials, solar energy, and renewable solid fuels. The paper proposes four energy system options for the thermal unit status, each defined with appropriate sustainability indicators: economical, ecological, social and resource. The Analysis and Synthesis of Parameters under Information Deficiency (ASPID) method of multi-criteria assessment was used to calculate a general index of sustainability and ranking the options. The purpose of this article is to identify viable options for evaluating the sustainability of renewable and non-renewable thermal power plant units.